The prior art contains numerous teachings relating to the manufacturing of a loom pickers to render them longer-lasting and more able to withstand the pounding of the shuttle against the picker nose in loom operation. Many present-day loom pickers comprise layers of woven synthetic fabric, such as polyester fabric, calendered with rubber or rubber-like compounds. The calendered fabric is then wrapped on a rigid form, layer by layer, and each layer is brushed with a suitable resin or otherwise saturated with resin. The green picker is then placed in a mold and baked under an elevated temperature and pressure for a sufficient time to cure the picker to a hard and very tough state. Following removal from the mold and minor trimming and finishing operations, the picker is ready for use. While the prior art contains some variance in the above procedure, the described construction is quite typical of the prior art.
Some examples of the patented prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,032,734; 2,341,904; 649,698; 2,161,662 and 2,219,380.
In spite of a rather sophisticated state of the art relating to the making of loom pickers evidenced by the above-referenced patents, this simple element which is so vital to the operation of a shuttle loom continues to represent a challenging problem and a need which is not yet satisfied in terms of durability and desirable life span of the picker on a modern-day shuttle loom. One main reason for the less than ideal performance of the picker on a high speed loom is its inability to withstand the heat and abrasion resulting from the repeated impact of the shuttle knurl on the picker nose. Even though present-day pickers are very tough and impact resistant, they are not constructed to reduce the friction at the instant of impact and thereby reducing the heat of friction as well as abrasion. Accordingly, it is the objective of this invention to advance the art relating to the manufacture of loom pickers by providing a picker which, in addition to being tough and impact resistant, also embodies elements or constituents which reduce friction and the heat of friction as well as abrasion, thereby increasing the life of the picker as much as fifty percent compared to the most efficient types currently used.